Maintenance and Repair of Physical Facilities

This Web page provides detail on many (but not all) of the repairs and maintenance needs included in the capital fund drive. You may navigate to specific areas by clicking on the links.

Roof and interior water damage repairs
Exterior repairs and improvements
Interior repairs and improvements

Roll your mouse pointer over any photo to see a brief description.

Roof and interior water damage repairs

Below is a satellite view of the church building, showing both roof work recently completed by the Board of Trustees (no box) and areas of the church roof that need to be repaired (box).

A satellite view of the church, showing roof work completed and work needed (boxes).

All roof failures are a concern - they will only get worse over time; however, three sections of the roof require urgent attention. Click on the links below to be taken directly to photographs showing the problems that exist today.

Memorial Garden east low and high roofs
Sanctuary south low roof
Parish House north roof

Memorial Garden east low and high roof needs

Both the lower and higher roofs on this side of the Memorial Garden must be repaired. The gutters will be replaced on both levels, and all roof-edge underlayment will be restored and new ice shield protection installed. The upper roof gable flashings will be replaced, while repairing any underlayment damage. On the lower level, the top flashings will be replaced. Failed slates on both levels will be replaced. The masonry will be repaired and tuckpointed down to the tops of the windows on the upper level and down to the ground on the lower level. Roll over the photos below to see some particulars about the existing state of this area.

Sanctuary south low roof needs

The Sanctuary south low roof suffers less damage from the winter weather because it is facing the sun; however, flashings on these roof sections are failing and must be replaced. Water has entered the Sanctuary during heavy rain storms and there are stainings visible in certain sections - especially near the organ console.

Parish House north roof needs

The Parish House north roof is an accent along the alley with four gables and slate roof sections. The gutters have been damaged by winter ice dams, but most noticable is the interior damage resulting from failed flashings on the gables. The photo sequence below presents the interior view of each window on the north side of the gymnasium. Severe plaster damage is present and must be repaired after the exterior work is completed.
West window	Center window	East window

Exterior repairs and improvements

Aside from the roof repairs, there are additional needs on the exterior of the church.

Memorial Garden cloister walk

Cloister walk is failing and slates are cracking under foot traffic.

The cloister walk is built from slates resting upon packed sand. Over time, the sand is eroded by rain water, leaving gaps which cause the stones to shift and crack under foot traffic. While the appearance of this slate walk is highly prized, a more stable and maintainable solution is needed.

Completing drainage tile repairs

Blocked/collapsed drainage tile repairs at southeast corner of Sanctuary

In 2014 and 2015, the Trustees spent over $50,000 to clear and repair the drainage tile and sewer lines serving the church. These repairs have had decidedly positive effects on seepage throughout the lower level, which had been a problem for more than a decade. However, the project could not be completed due to problems with a short length of drainage tile at the southeast corner of the Sanctuary. The drainage tiles at this site appear to have collapsed or are blocked by tree roots, meaning that extensive excavation will be required to locate and repair this final leg of the system. This will be costly, but when completed the drainage tile will serve for many years to come.

Adding automatic opener to Parish House door

The door to the Parish House should be equipped with an automatic opener for those with disabilities.

Our church building should be friendly to all - including those with disabilities. Most lacking is automatic door opening hardware on both the Parish House door and on the north door to the Narthex at the top of the ramp. The automatic doors would also be very helpful to nursery school parents who often arrive with strollers for smaller children.

Interior repairs and improvements

Aside from water damage repairs, there are additional needs within the church and the pastor's residence.

Modernizing the Parlor kitchen

The Parlor kitchen needs to be modernized and made safer to work in.

The Parlor kitchen has not been updated for many years and badly needs a new stove (electric versus gas), a dishwasher, and improved counter space.

Refurbishing the stairwells for appearance and safety

The two main stairwells need to be refurbished and modernized for safety.

The two stairwells have metal stair noses that have rusted and detail work that should be repainted. The stair noses should be replaced with modern high-visibility noses that will shine in the dark to aid emergency evacuations when lighting may be absent.

Repairing cracked window mullions

There are about a dozen windows with cracked mullions that should be repaired. A major project to repair mullions was completed 10 years ago; however, additional mullions have cracked in since then. These cracks occur because water penetrates the wall above the window and percolates down into the window framing work. Within that framing are steel reinforcing rods - which rust on exposure to the water. Rusting causes the steel to expand, cracking the surrounding concrete. The work involves replacing the steel rods with ceramic rods.